Many revolutionary "green" developments and solutions carry the stamp of an Israeli company - inventions such as radioactive waste disposal systems, natural and chemical-free pesticides, unique techniques to clean and reuse wastewater - and are constantly being invented by local scientists, developed by Israeli companies and funded by local investors.
The Green Apprentice neighborhood at Kibbutz Lotan is built with high ecological orientation. The new dormitories were built from mud, which supplies insulation and makes them fully fireproof.
Nonetheless, when it comes to implementing these high-technology environmental solutions, it seems that Israel lags behind the rest of the world.
One area in which the country may be starting to make some progress, however, is "green architecture." A trend that has caught on in the western world, which helps to preserve and save energy, water, land and other resources, it has just recently managed to grab a foothold in the Israeli market.
Helping to push the trend in a country that desperately needs to improve its attitude towards the environment, are several architectural firms and companies, as well as the Interior and Environmental Protection Ministries, which are encouraging the process.
The first signs of Israeli awareness to the benefits of green buildings emerged over the last couple of years.
The first green building to be certified with the stamp of the Standards Institution of Israel (See Box) is the business center of Bank Leumi, Hashmonaim branch, in Tel Aviv, which was moved to HaArba'a street and was inaugurated in June. The new branch is now equipped with, among other green solutions, smart lighting, which uses natural daylight and prefers economic artificial lightning bulbs such as fluorescent, which don't heat up and save electricity.
Meanwhile, the Interior Ministry is planning for the construction of the country's first green neighborhood in Kfar Saba.
The green neighborhood is expected to include, among other things, pneumatic trash disposal layout; green streets connecting the houses and the multitude of public gardens and parks; walking paths and shaded bicycle paths; water recycling; an advanced isolation system; a local communication and computer network in order to neutralize the hazards caused by antennae and similar telecommunications facilities; regulation of traffic in the outskirts of the neighborhood; and more.
Zeitouni Company has purchased a piece of land within the future green neighborhood and has presented a building plan for 300 residential units.
"Private building companies cannot handle seriously this sort of project on their own," said CEO Avi Zeitouni. "Without the support the project has received from the local municipality and the authorities, it would have been impossible to plan and to put down infrastructures that fit the ecological approach."
To help reduce the relatively high costs of building with a conscience, several real estate companies involved in the project are searching for purchase groups.
"Building a house through a purchase group is the cheapest way to achieve qualitative construction and significant saving over 17% and more from the price of contractors," said Issachar Kaufman, CEO of Re/Max purchase group, a subsidiary of Re/Max Israel.
Kaufman added that Re/Max is currently negotiating with large hi-tech companies located in the area in attempt to establish a "factory purchase group" - another idea to establish an environment-oriented community.
Similar projects are in the process of receiving approvals from the Interior Ministry.
Another on-its-way project is the Hassid Brothers' green tower in Jerusalem's Katamon neighborhood named Ganey Zion.
"Green construction has an added value for the long-term despite being more expensive. Research shows that the population living in green projects is of the highest quality, which also leads to a more pleasant lifestyle for the tenants," said Sharon Hassid, marketing manager of the Hassid Brothers.
Architect Zvi Dunsky of Dunsky Architects and Designers says that unlike conventional architecture, when it comes to "green" every project is like inventing the wheel.
"During any new project we have to think as much as possible and to understand in advance what is needed. We never copy a project," says Dunsky.
Green architecture, he says, demands a thorough examination of the territory on which the environment friendly building will be erected.
"We need to learn the natural conditions of the place such as the sunlight, the direction of light and rain in order to exploit their benefits and avoid nuisances. We have to understand how to manipulate direct sunlight from disturbing workstations or living spaces, to use special glasses and films for glass to prevent heat and glare. We can also control the amount of light by using external shades, which are better than internal shades because they prevent both heat and radiation. We use only recyclable materials such as wall-to-wall carpets that are recyclable; aluminum, glass, metal, paints that are water-based and lead-free and we use solar energy for heating water and air. We recycle gray-water, which can be reused for irrigation from public facilities and private housing," Dunsky says.
Also a landscape architect, he thinks that, on an urban scale, cities should use gray-water systems to irrigate open spaces, gardens and parks.
Green architecture believes it all comes back to you eventually - even the money you spent on this allegedly trendy theory.
"The initial investment is higher but it pays off in two years. For instance, the long-term usage of less electricity by installing efficient lighting fixtures or using as many on-site materials as possible and local materials that consume less energy to transport," Dunsky says.
While a green neighborhood or building may be the "ultimate" in environmental friendliness, those concerned about the environment who don't want to leave their traditional homes can still go green.
Members of Kibbutz Lotan, for example, are friends of the Global Ecovillage Network (GEN), a global confederation of worldwide communities dedicated to restoring the land and living "sustainable" lives by putting more back into the environment than they take out, started to gain attention 10 years ago.
